Arthellais

ON SAINT ARTHELLAIS, VIRGIN OF BENEVENTO IN ITALY.

AROUND THE YEAR 570.

Arthellais, Virgin of Benevento in Italy (Saint)

[1] Benevento, a most ancient city of the Hirpini, once distinguished as the seat of the Lombard Dukes, increased its nobility with the birth of various Saints; of these we have given several in the months of January and February. And on the 3rd of March it is recorded that Saint Arthellais the Virgin died her last day there. That her name and feast were inscribed in an ancient manuscript Martyrology of the library of Benevento, marked number 178, is attested by Marius de Vipera, Archdeacon of Benevento, in his Chronology of the Bishops of his Church. Her name inscribed in the sacred calendars: We also found in the Vatican library a codex in Lombard script, marked number 5949, and in our judgment it was a certain collection of Martyrology from Usuard, Ado, and other authors, made for the Church of Benevento not yet five hundred years ago, since mention is made not only of Saint Romuald but also of Saint Thomas of Canterbury, and the Beneventan Saints are commemorated almost in the first place. In that codex, for 3 March, the following is read: "At Benevento, Saint Arthellais, Virgin." In the ancient Martyrologies of the manuscripts of the monastery of Cassino and of Duke Altemps, and in the manuscript supplement of the Carthusians of Brussels to Usuard and Hermann Greven, the same is recorded: "Arthellais, Virgin, at Benevento." Ferrarius also writes the same, citing the Beneventan records, in his General Catalogue of Saints and in his Topography to the Roman Martyrology. Arthur du Moustier transcribes Ferrarius in his Sacred Gynaeceum.

[2] We give two sets of Acts, both written by an anonymous author. The Life was written: The former was communicated by Antonio Alferio, Canon of Benevento, to Giovanni Battista Mario Romano, Canon of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria, who with his singular kindness lent them to us for copying. The latter were published by Marius de Vipera in his Catalogue of the Saints of the Church of Benevento, and by Philippus Ferrarius in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy; the latter asserts that they were published from a certain old Beneventan manuscript transmitted to Cardinal Giulio Antonio Sanseverino, who had begun to write about the Saints of the Kingdom of Naples. Vipera notes that he has them from a manuscript codex of the Beneventan library concerning the Deeds of the Saints, part 1, page 88, marked number 168; and at the end he relates certain things about the cult of Saint Arthellais and the Translation of her body which are lacking in Ferrarius. Francesco Laherius follows him in the great Menology of Virgins published in French.

[3] The same Vipera, in his Chronology of the Bishops of Benevento, under Saint Zeno or Zosimus, has this eulogy of Saint Arthellais: eulogy from Mario Vipera, "Upon the death of Justinian and the accession to the Empire of Justin, under Pope John III, in the year of the Lord 563, Blessed Arthellais, daughter of Lucius the Proconsul and Arthusa, betook herself from Constantinople to Benevento, to her uncle Narses. She was held in great repute for sanctity; she lived sixteen years, three months, and eight days, and fell asleep in the Lord in the church of Saint Luke, situated near the Rufina Gate, having there received the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. She was buried there, and the sanctity of her life and death was confirmed by many miracles that followed. From the deposition of her body, the said church passed into the cult and name of the Virgin, and her feast on the 3rd of March is celebrated at Benevento." Thus Vipera, who cites the manuscript Martyrology cited above; but whether he transcribed all these things from it, we cannot determine. In these there are certain errors, discussed. such as concerning the death of the Emperor Justinian, which fell in the month of November of the year 565, when Indiction 14 was already in progress, as Theophanes observes. But in the year assigned above, Justin had been appointed by Justinian as Curopalates, or supreme Curator of his palace. In the Acts, the reason for Saint Arthellais's departure from Constantinople is indicated: that Justinian had ordered her to be sent to him, perhaps to place her in marriage with someone of the royal house, and lest she be compelled to consent to this, she took flight. Her uncle Narses flourished in those same times, who, having defeated and slain Totila, King of the Goths, in battle, had recovered Rome in the year of Christ 553. The years of her life are also confused in the Acts, as if she had lived sixteen years, three months, and eight days in all, and again as if she had spent as many years, months, and days at Benevento, where there is a scribal error, to be corrected sometime from another manuscript codex.

LIFE

From a Beneventan manuscript.

Arthellais, Virgin of Benevento in Italy (Saint)

BHL Number: 0719

From manuscripts.

[1] During the reign of the Emperor Justinian, Narses the eunuch and Chamberlain was appointed Patrician and established in Italy, over which he presided during the times of Justinian and of his nephew Justin. In those times, therefore, there was in the city of Constantinople a certain Proconsul named Lucius, and his wife was named Anthusa, and he had a most beautiful daughter named Arthellais, whom many people, seeing her, Saint Arthellais sought by the Emperor on account of her beauty, marveled at her beauty. But when the servants of the Emperor saw her, they accused her before the Emperor, saying: "Never have we seen in all the land such a maiden in beauty and appearance as the one we have seen today in the house of Lucius the Proconsul." When the Emperor heard this,

he was filled with joy and sent a message secretly to Lucius the Proconsul, that he should send him his daughter. But Lucius was unwilling to send her to him. He went and called his wife and said to her: "What shall we do about our daughter Arthellais? For a message has come to me from the Emperor Justinian, that I should send her to him." When her mother heard this, she began to weep and say: "Woe is me, my sweetest daughter! Who has accused you to the impious Emperor Justinian? What shall I do with you, the light of my eyes?" And when the Emperor heard that he was unwilling to give her to him, he sent thirty armed men to seize her. But when Lucius heard this, he hid his daughter so that no one could find her.

[2] But Blessed Arthellais said to her mother: "I, Mother, give you counsel as to what we should do. As I have learned from my father, he has a brother in the city of Benevento, who has been appointed Patrician, and he himself rules in all Italy. If he will give me three eunuchs, I shall go to him, and thus I shall be able to preserve my virginity." When her father and mother heard this counsel, having received three eunuchs, it pleased them, and he sent his servants and had three eunuchs, men of his household, come to him, to whom he said: "Listen, my brothers and friends, I wish you to go to the city of Benevento with my daughter Arthellais, to my lord Narses the Patrician, and I will honor you with great honor." They answered and said: "As you have commanded, so we shall do; may the will of God and yours be done." And when the eunuchs had given such a reply, Lucius rejoiced with his wife and gave them gold and silver amounting to about a hundred pounds, and garments, and said to them: "Take and carry these gifts for yourselves, so that you may be able to live until you come to my brother Narses the Patrician." And the father and mother kissed their daughter Arthellais she departs from Constantinople: and the eunuchs, and said to them: "Go in peace, and may the Lord be with you on your journey, and may a good Angel of the Lord accompany you to direct your feet in the way of peace and salvation, so that with joy you may come to the threshold of the holy Mother of God, Mary." And when they had said this, they answered, "Amen," and departed.

[3] The father went with them at midnight with four hundred armed men, because of the fear of the Emperor Justinian, and came with them as far as the city of Bulona, and her father returned weeping to his house. She is escorted to Bulona by her father: Now it happened in those days that it was reported to the Emperor Justinian that Lucius had sent his daughter into flight. Then he commanded his soldiers that wherever they found Lucius, they should immediately cut off his head. When Lucius heard this, he fled from there and hid himself for thirty days in the house of Justin, the Emperor's nephew, and the Emperor did not find him.

[4] When Blessed Arthellais had come near the city of Bulona, robbers found her there and questioned her, saying: she is detained captive by robbers: "Where are you from?" But Blessed Arthellais did not answer them a word, and immediately seizing her, they carried her to their house and cast her into prison. But the eunuchs, seeing Blessed Arthellais seized, abandoned her and all fled, and came to the church of Blessed Eulalia, where they prayed to our Lord Jesus Christ that He would restore their mistress to them. On the Lord's day, many poor people gathered before the door of the church -- blind, lame, and infirm -- to whom the eunuchs gave from the treasure of Blessed Arthellais. Among them our Lord Jesus Christ appeared in the guise of a poor man, and He Himself, receiving from the treasure of Blessed Arthellais, Christ appearing, said to the eunuchs: "What you did for one of the least of my brothers, you did for me." Therefore, after seven days, the robbers who had cast Blessed Arthellais into prison said among themselves: "Let us go to her, and seizing her, let us take her to a brothel, and the robbers being divinely slain, so that whoever finds her may abuse her." And when they had gone forth from their houses to carry out the aforesaid crime, they were seized by a demon and died. And the Lord sent His Angel and slew the jailer with all his men, she is freed by an Angel: and broke open the gates of the prison and led her out.

[5] When she found her eunuchs, she kissed them, and with great joy they set out by sea and arrived at the city of Siponto, praising and blessing the Lord. She comes to Siponto: Meanwhile there was a certain man there who said to the blessed Virgin: "I beg you, my Lady, that you give me help from your treasure, because I am about to do a certain work in the church of Saint Michael, which is situated on Mount Gargano." The blessed Virgin said to him: "I myself will come there in person." She offers gifts to Saint Michael on Mount Gargano: When therefore she had come to the hall of Blessed Michael, prostrating herself upon the ground, she prayed with tears, and after prayer she offered upon the altar of Saint Michael from her treasure, and for the work of the church she gave thirty gold pieces. And departing thence, she returned to Siponto.

[6] On a certain night, while Narses the Patrician was sleeping, a certain elder appeared to him and said to him: "Arise, Patrician, she is visited by her uncle Narses: go forth to meet the daughter of your brother Lucius, who has fled from the face of the Emperor Justinian." And when he had awakened from sleep and related what he had seen in the vision, behold, a messenger sent by Blessed Arthellais, saying to him: "Go forth, my Lord, to meet the daughter of your brother Lucius the Proconsul, who has come here to you." When Narses the Patrician heard this, he rejoiced, and rising with a great retinue of horsemen, he came to Siponto and found her within the church of Blessed Mark the Evangelist. And they both kissed one another in the love of Christ, and preparing themselves, they came rejoicing to the city of Luceria she is brought to Luceria, and remained there for three days, during which God worked many wonders through the merits and prayers of Blessed Arthellais. Departing thence, they approached Benevento. and to Benevento:

[7] And when the men and women of the city had heard of the coming of Blessed Arthellais, they went out to meet her with hymns and praises, and thus she was received with honor. where she is honorably received: After this, with bare feet, she entered with a great retinue through the gate called the Golden Gate and came praying to God through the middle of the city all the way to the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And when she had arrived there, they caused all the bells of the same church to ring. The clergy, receiving her with hymns and praises, entered the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and prostrating herself before the altar, she prayed, and after the prayer she offered sixty gold pieces upon the altar, she receives the holy Eucharist: and they celebrated Mass in honor of the Lord and of Saint James the Apostle (for on that day his solemnity was observed), and the holy Virgin and her people partook of the Body and Blood of Christ.

[8] When these things were thus accomplished, they returned to their lodgings, and God worked many miracles in the aforesaid city through the merits of Blessed Arthellais. She shines with miracles: Blessed Arthellais, walking from virtue to virtue, began to fast every day, except on Sundays, and to pray always without ceasing. At the hour of refreshment she ate whatever was brought to her by Narses the Patrician. The years of her life from her birth to her death were sixteen, and three months, and eight days.

[9] After sixteen years, three months, and eight days, which she spent at Benevento, ill, she receives the Viaticum: she was seized by a fever, and all the women of the city from the greatest to the least lamented her, weeping over her sanctity and beauty. She had herself carried near the church of Blessed Luke, and the Priest offered the sacrifice to God; which being offered, she fortified herself with the Body and Blood of Christ she dies; she is buried. and fell asleep in the Lord. And her body was buried in the same church, near the wall of the aforesaid church, which is at the Rufina Gate on the eastern side.

ANOTHER LIFE

Published from manuscripts by Mario de Vipera and Ferrarius.

Arthellais, Virgin of Benevento in Italy (Saint)

BHL Number: 0720

[1] Arthellais, a noble Virgin of Constantinople, daughter of Lucius the Proconsul and Arthusa, For love of preserving her virginity she flees: was sought by the Emperor Justinian on account of her remarkable beauty, against the will of her parents and of the Virgin herself, who had vowed her virginity to Christ. She was sent secretly with several eunuchs to Italy, to Narses the Patrician, who at that time was residing at Benevento.

[2] But on the journey she fell among robbers, who, having imprisoned her, had resolved to prostitute her on account of her beauty. She is snatched from the hands of robbers: But at her prayers and those of the eunuchs, poured forth to God that she might be rescued from their hands, after alms had been bestowed upon the poor, the robbers, seized by a demon, perished. Arthellais, moreover, led out of prison by an Angel, continued her journey with the eunuchs and put in at Siponto, she comes to Siponto: where she devoutly visited the temple of the Divine Archangel Michael and gave gifts.

[3] Meanwhile Narses, informed of his niece's arrival, came to Siponto and, with a great retinue, escorted her first to Luceria (where God worked certain wonders through the merits of this holy Virgin), she is brought to Luceria, then to Benevento, and to Benevento: with the whole city coming out to meet her. Entering through the gate called the Golden Gate, Arthellais went first to the church of the Mother of God and bestowed many sums of money upon it; and after the sacred mysteries of the Mass, refreshed by holy communion, she went to the house of her uncle.

[4] She lived at Benevento for several years, shining with many virtues and miracles, renowned for miracles, she dies. constantly devoted to prayer and daily fasts. At length, seized by a brief fever, she flew to her heavenly Spouse, with all mourning her death, on the fifth day before the Nones of March, and was buried in the church of Saint Luke near the Rufina Gate. On account of the deposition of her body, the said church passed into the name and cult of the same Virgin. Thereafter her body was translated to the Cathedral.